Brisk winds limit bird ringing sessions - January 2020

Suitable days for ringing were limited by rather brisk winds throughout although Bedfont, Wooley Firs and the Heston garden did manage nine sessions between them.

The total of 153 new birds was one of our lowest January figures but did include Kestrel, Firecrest, Nuthatch and Yellowhammer amongst the 18 species.


Adult Female Kestrel Primaries

Nearly 50% of the catch were Blue Tit at 74 with Great Tit at 29.

Retraps and controls included a Cetti’s Warbler at Stanwell Reservor ringed over 3 years ago; a Blackcap ringed at Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory in the summer of 2017 and retrapped at Bedfont in April 2019; and a Goldcrest ringed at Gilbraltar Point in October 2019 and recorded at Bedfont in that December.

Public invitation to see bird ringing

We'll be demonstrating bird ringing at BBOWT's Woolley Firs reserve on 15th February. See birds up close and join in the Q&A

https://www.bbowt.org.uk/events/2020-02-15-bird-ringing-woolley-firs

Coal Tits (male, left & female)

December & 2019's a wrap - Red Kite added to list but poor year for Redpoll

In a month when weather and social pressures conspired against ringing, it is amazing that 8 sessions
were possible, especially as there was no activity at garden sites. 123 birds of 19 species were ringed with Blue Tit top at 62, Great Tit at 23 and Goldcrest at 11.

Good captures this month were Sparrowhawk, Meadow Pipit, Redwing, Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff and 2 Yellowhammer.

2019
New species for the group were 3 Red Kite and a Lesser black-backed Gull, whilst others, rarely ringed by the Group, were Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Nightingale, Redstart and Stonechat.

Blackcap were top species at 1513 followed by Blue Tit 672, Whitethroat 394 and Chiffchaff 390. But did we really only ring one Kingfisher, 3 Siskin and 7 Lesser Redpoll?